The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-03-03
.Qlm Gtttelliqsttftr
onleo. Nos. a,nnd 81 Fourteenth Street,
EARTHQUAKE SHOCKS.

Onlco. Nos. aannd 81 Fourteenth Street.
EAIlTnQUA1sE SHOCKS.
Great Seismic Disturbances Of. America,
Enrthqunkc.proof Buildings,
Prqntsor Sddttr, IT March seritncr.
The shocks Of lsll.13 are, by thei,
violence and continuity, to DO ranked
among the first rcore Of recorded earth.
quakes. Save perhaps that which in 1915
disturbed the delta Of tho Indus, in west.
ern Hindoatan, the Mississippi earthquake
OF 1911 directly produced more. extensive
and permanent local geographical changes
than any other Of which we have an &C.
count 80 violent and continuous wero the
ahakings that the nlluvial land In The
nelghborbood Of. Now Madrid was lowered
below its previous level, and into the de.
pressed region the stream OF tho Mississ.
ippi poured in such violence that ior a
time Its lower waters, for n considerable
part OF their. course, turned backward to.
ward their source. Although the colonjz.
Ing OF the district had just begun, the area
Of the country already cleared by settlers
which was converted into morasses by the
shock was 60 great tho Government was
compelled to furnish some hundreds Of
thousand acres oil new lands on higher
ground to those whose dwelling places had
boon made uninhabitable. It seems likelv
that an area Of no. lees than 5000 square
miles wes, on tho average, though irreyu.
larry, lowered to the depth Of ten feat be.
low it's original level. Tho energy Of these
shocks were go great that low, strongly
built cabins in the irontiermen were
wrecked, the forest ttess wero beaten
against each other, and their branches in.
terlocked as they swung to and fro. The
Irregular movements oil the ground led TO
the formation Of numerous great crsyices.
from which turbid waters werethrown II D
to n considerable height. 10 protect them.
selves from being engulted In thsse assures
the people iei}ed trees so that they Law on
tho ground at right angles to tho general
trend OF the fixtures, and built places OF
refuge on tho broad foundations which
they thus secured. There can be no cues.
ton that the disturbance Of this magni.
tude would, in the present condition ofthe
region where 1t occurred, Gauge greater
destruction than did that which RECENTLY
occurred In Charleston, S. @. \
Theee two series OF shockp, that of 1911
and 1856, have u close general relation to
each otheri 80 alike arc they, indeed, as
to suggest that tho great series OF repeated
shocks, gradually diminishing in intsnsity,
may bs the type OF disturbance character.
istic OF the lowland districts OF tho south.
ern part OF this continent. The New Mad.
rid. earthquake OF 1911 was, however, by
lar tho mole extended phenomenon; tho
shocks were more frequent and OF much
greater %vio!euce, and the period during
which they REQUIRED was far longer than
in the Caroliuian disturbances, W.
It is satisfactory to find that, within the
area Of the United States, two c%enturiea OF
historic record and much natural evidence
20 to show that great earthquakes are ex-
csptional, but this should not blind us to
tho fact thgt large areas arc already known
to.hGvO suffered from movements which
may bring widespread destruction, where
The builder takes nc account OF any other
disturb r OF stability save g%rayitatien. Ills
not likely that We haveaa yetknown by OK
peflenc9, the full extent Of country which
ia subject to this order Of shocks; our his.
toric prospective is very short, and the
natural evidence does not give us any as.
s~urance concerning disturbances Of this
lesger order. 1t is clear that we cannot, In
this country, reckon on an earth az stable
rs that Of the northern region Of Europe,
where our race was bred and our building
system developed. 1t is equally clear that
the mode OF construction should be adapt-
ed to the new needs which the less firm
ground OF this country imposes on ua. ~
Az long as the building material mcst
commonly in use was timber, and the ma
aonary structures Of a low and substantial
nature, they We're fairly fitted to afford
the resistance required to Withstand the
shocks which could DO expected to Gene
upon them. But the combination Of am.
bltioa and economy which is filling the
land with lofty and limsy structures in
vites calamity on the least disturbance of
the earth. The shock Of l755, which did
little more than Stir tho fears, ehake nown
the,chimney-tops o 1.-THE old town OF Bog
ton, and afford ateSt for many interesting
setmocg, would be extremely disastrous
to the higher and weaker structures Of
Today. .
The prescriptions which the architect
pas TO follow in preparing his buildings TO
resist the Dtrairs OF d moderate earthquake
are simple, and do not require any great
increase in the course OF construction. 1t
10, we'll to understand that the actual
movement OF the ground syen in violent
shocks, is slight. In thoae which we hsve
termed Of the frs. order 1t is doubtful il
the movement ever smounts to q foot in
altitude, Thile the ohocks which we NAV
anticipate in this country, such as have
recently occurred in Charlenton, for in.
%atarce, probably swing tho earth to and
fro within the space Of an inch. The de-
%struction is done in part by the suddenneaa
Of the to an6-ffo motion, which breaksthe
foundation from the superstructure, but
in large measurea by tho pendulum-like
vibration which is set up in the building.
This pendulum movement may GAUGE an
oscillation Of one inch at the foundations
to be several feet in q sixth floor, or, Say,
100 feet above the ground. The rend;nr
effect of this pendulum-like swinging,
especially in weak maeonry, may easily
be imagined.
. Ho Cashed tho Kisses.
Portland .Ar0as.
The other day while o young deputy
postmaster was engaged at his work, in
stepped one OF our baahful maidens Of